The present invention provides a control function in an access point, switch, or like node on a wireless local area network. The control function operates to ensure frames transmitted by a user terminal are transmitted using an appropriate transmission priority scheme. The control function will assist and provide an appropriate priority level to the user terminal. Frames transmitted from the user terminal are passed through the control function, which will analyze priority level information provided in the frames to determine if the frames were transmitted using the appropriate transmission priority scheme. An enforcement action may be taken in response to identifying frames that were not transmitted using the appropriate transmission priority scheme.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method comprising: assigning to a user terminal a select priority level of a plurality of priority levels for the user terminal to use when transmitting frames in a wireless local area network (WLAN); sending control information identifying the select priority level to the user terminal via the WLAN; receiving a frame transmitted from the user terminal, the frame including priority information identifying a priority level used by the user terminal when transmitting the frame; and determining whether the frame was transmitted according to the select priority level based on the priority information in the frame.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the frame was transmitted according to the select priority level further comprises determining whether the priority information in the frame corresponds to the select priority level assigned to the user terminal.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising effecting an enforcement action when the priority information in the frame does not correspond to the select priority level.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the select priority level is assigned to the user terminal to use when transmitting frames for at least one of the group consisting of an application and a type of application, and further comprising identifying the at least one of the application and type of application for which the frame was transmitted based on information in the frame to assist in determining whether the frame was transmitted according to the select priority level.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein different priority levels are assigned to the user terminal for different ones of the applications and types of applications.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying the user terminal from which the frame was transmitted based on source information in the frame to assist in determining whether the frame was transmitted according to the select priority level that was assigned to the user terminal.
7. The method of claim 2 further comprising forwarding the frame toward a destination when the priority information in the frame corresponds to the select priority level.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the priority information is provided in a quality of service field in the frame.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the priority information is provided in a traffic identification sub-field in the quality of service field.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of priority levels comprise at least two of the group consisting of transmission priorities defined for background, best effort, video, and voice transmission schemes.
11. The method of claim 3 wherein effecting the enforcement action comprises one of the group consisting of dropping the frame, providing a warning message to the user terminal, resending the control information to the user terminal, and ending a session associated with the frame.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the select priority level is assigned to the user terminal for use when transmitting the frame over a given wireless access channel.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein priority levels may be assigned and sent to a plurality of user terminals that are sharing the given wireless access channel.
14. A wireless local area network (WLAN) node comprising: at least one communication interface; and a control system operatively associated with the at least one communication interface, and adapted to: assign to a user terminal a select priority level of a plurality of priority levels for the user terminal to use when transmitting frames in a WLAN; send control information identifying the select priority level to the user terminal via the WLAN; receive a frame transmitted from the user terminal, the frame including priority information identifying a priority level used by the user terminal when transmitting the frame; and determine whether the frame was transmitted according to the select priority level based on the priority information in the frame.
15. The WLAN node of claim 14 wherein to determine whether the frame was transmitted according to the select priority level, the control system is further adapted to determine whether the priority information in the frame corresponds to the select priority level assigned to the user terminal.
16. The WLAN node of claim 15 wherein the control system is further adapted to effect an enforcement action when the priority information in the frame does not correspond to the select priority level.
17. The WLAN node of claim 14 wherein the select priority level is assigned to the user terminal to use when transmitting frames for at least one of the group consisting of an application and a type of application, and the control system is further adapted to identify the at least one of the application and type of application for which the frame was transmitted based on information in the frame to determine whether the frame was transmitted according to the select priority level.
18. The WLAN node of claim 17 wherein different priority levels are assigned to the user terminal for different ones of the applications and types of applications.
19. The WLAN node of claim 14 wherein the control system is further adapted to identify the user terminal from which the frame was transmitted based on source information in the frame to determine whether the frame was transmitted according to the select priority level that was assigned to the user terminal.
20. The WLAN node of claim 15 wherein the control system is further adapted to forward the frame toward a destination when the priority information in the frame corresponds to the select priority level.
21. The WLAN node of claim 14 wherein the priority information is provided in a quality of service field in the frame.
22. The WLAN node of claim 21 wherein the priority information is provided in a traffic identification sub-field in the quality of service field.
23. The WLAN node of claim 14 wherein the plurality of priority levels comprises at least two of the group consisting of transmission priorities defined for background, best effort, video, and video transmission schemes.
24. The WLAN node of claim 16 wherein the enforcement action comprises one of the group consisting of dropping the frame, providing a warning message to the user terminal, resending the control information to the user terminal, and ending a session associated with the frame.
25. The WLAN node of claim 14 wherein the select priority level is assigned to the user terminal for use when transmitting the frame over a given wireless access channel.
26. The WLAN node of claim 25 wherein priority levels may be assigned and sent to a plurality of user terminal that are sharing the given wireless access channel.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
July 7, 2006
March 20, 2012
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.